The ups and downs

A more detailed update to give a little insight into a [hopefully] non-typical day in the life of Selina.

At 1pm on Thursday we were all ready to go to hospital with a very chirpy Selina for her to have a routine blood test.
The 9 hours that followed were quite different (wonderfully, as I write at 11pm on Saturday she is still in hospital, happy and well).

Immediately prior to leaving for hospital Selina burst out in tears saying her wrists hurt and was clearly in a lot of pain as we travelled the hospital.

Blood test was done, as planned, at the hospital (still in pain, not letting any doctors get near her wrists).  She also needed her central line looked at as a rash had been developing over the past few days (but refused to let nurses and doctors get near it). Blood test showed a drop in platelet levels (an expected effect of the chemo) which necessitated a transfusion as well as very low white blood counts. She started shivering and suddenly developed a fever (39.5C).  A serious thing for you and I who have ample white blood cells to deal with it.  Selina's count is 0.39 (normal is between 4 and 10) so she was promptly put onto antibiotics.

So, having hoped we'd be leaving hospital by 5.30pm, Selina was instead:
- transferred from day centre and admitted to the children's cancer ward (me carrying her, in much pain)
- wheeled down on my lap to to A&E xray for her wrists (still in much pain)
- on panadol to ease pain (which certainly seemed help, though she was resistant being a new oral medicine)
- had blood taken again and put into culture to identify if bacteria in her blood
- was taking antibiotics for infection (through her central line)
- had her central line swabbed to identify any bacteria which may have caused the infection
- central line dressing changed to a gauze under which steroid cream would need to be applied daily (previously just needed a weekly change)

All of that before 10pm!

Friday and today she was steady and cheerful.  We pray that may continue.  It is hard for her and an emotional rollercoaster for us to think about analysis and diagnosis of four things going 'wrong' with her at once.

Next time we go for a blood test we will assume that there is a strong likelihood we could still be there 3 days later!